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Updates coming to Profile and Dashboard


hzoi

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I was surprised by the comment "We learned through data that only 2.4% of active geocachers have anything entered in their custom profile information tab". I find that for active geocachers, in my experience, the vast majority have something there. But I don't know what percentage of geocaching accounts are what I would call "active".

This is a bit off topic, but illustrates very well why the minority shouldn't be ignored: what if car manufacturers started to move the seat belts and the turn signals to the trunk, since only about 2.4% use them anyway... :laughing:

 

Hey! I'm 61 and I'll have you know that my turn signal is on for 75% of my drive!!, :P

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I quit using the MC from a browser and downloaded the app because the MC freezes/doesn't work in my phone's browser. It's a workaround, but it gets the job done. I do wish they could fix this in the MC, though.

 

As far as the profile goes, I see the profile as a bit of a mark of a serious geocacher vs. a casual one. I enjoy seeing what people did with their profile and what matters to them, and if they did nothing, it's just blank and it's not that big of a deal. I think the 2.4% is a poor reason to move it/do away with it. If the problem is spaghetti code and user supplied content causing too many problems, I can TOTALLY see why that would need resolved.

 

For those who don't know this... Google is making a big push toward pages being secure (HTTPS instead of HTTP). It IS coming. User supplied content is often images, links, and other information from UNSECURE (HTTP) sites, which could cause unexpected issues for the SECURE (HTTPS) geocaching.com. Also, sometimes people try adding things to profiles that ends up breaking the page unintentionally... it's very frustrating to the developer trying to find fixes for every possibility.

 

I can see THESE being good reasons to modify the about section, but I'd rather see a modification to what is allowed in the about us section and keep that custom area available and on the default tab.

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while I applaud the abandoning of email through the site, I also think it's a mistake to take out that method of contact. Couldn't you just keep the email link, but force it to open through the default email client instead of directing them to the on-site form? I don't think anyone would really care about losing that part of it.

This would not preserve anonymity which the geocache email does for those that wish it. My second problem with that approach is my default email client is not my caching email. As long as the user email is still visible for those that allow it we can still probably send direct emails anyway. Until we see the real form this is speculation.

 

+1 ... I don't want my email address visible in my profile.

 

Then don't put it out there and use the message center. I mean...it's pretty simple.

 

You misunderstand. The current email contact system works fine and preserves the anonymity. If you really want your email out there, just add a "mailto:yourname@youremail.com" link to your profile somewhere.

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I don't have an issue with it from what I've seen.

 

I was surprised by the comment "We learned through data that only 2.4% of active geocachers have anything entered in their custom profile information tab". I find that for active geocachers, in my experience, the vast majority have something there. But I don't know what percentage of geocaching accounts are what I would call "active".

 

It may be a regional thing. I don't have anything in my profile, nor do most of my active geocaching friends. I had at one point put some of the statistical things there, but nobody really cares about it, so I removed it.

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Request: Since it seems the MC will not be the only way to contact, could you add a way of showing what the system considers "unread" messages? I always have the little yellow circle showing I have unread messages because I always read them via email. I'd like an easy way of clearing this out by selecting all unread, but right now I have to scroll down and show ALL messages to see what the system thinks I haven't read.

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Please don't remove email functionality. Not everyone is hooked into Message Center. I contacted an EarthCache reviewer yesterday and Send Email was the only choice. I won't repeat previous comments on why email is a good choice for many.

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Statistics readily available for some older challenge caches without a checker is nice since the CO simply needs to look at your profile to see if you qualified for the challenge. I'm hopeful we'll still be able to use our Project GC statistics as an option on our stats page and it's easily seen.

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I contacted an EarthCache reviewer yesterday and Send Email was the only choice.

You bring up a good point. I'd seen in the past the request to use email (or reviewer notes) instead of the message center in many reviewer profiles. But now that I look, the message center isn't even an option for reviewer accounts, including at least one reviewer who doesn't have a separate player account. I didn't even notice the option had disappeared. I guess they'll have to program around this.

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It may be a regional thing. I don't have anything in my profile, nor do most of my active geocaching friends. I had at one point put some of the statistical things there, but nobody really cares about it, so I removed it.

 

Maybe. I looked at 10 random friends (from my geocaching friends list) and 9 of them had a profile. Some of them are in the US.

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Request: Since it seems the MC will not be the only way to contact, could you add a way of showing what the system considers "unread" messages? I always have the little yellow circle showing I have unread messages because I always read them via email. I'd like an easy way of clearing this out by selecting all unread, but right now I have to scroll down and show ALL messages to see what the system thinks I haven't read.

+1

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How the DNFs will count? The total number of DNFs logged or the number of caches that I finally didn't manage to found?

 

For example: I've logged 3 DNFs on a single cache and during the 4th visit I've found it and finally logged as "found". How many DNFs have I in this case: 3 (as 3 DNFs logged) or 0 (as I finally found that cache)?

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I quit using the MC from a browser and downloaded the app because the MC freezes/doesn't work in my phone's browser. It's a workaround, but it gets the job done. I do wish they could fix this in the MC, though.

When the MC breaks on the site, I've noticed that it still works in the App. That's the main reason I have the App. MC is made for the App. But I hate typing on a phone, so I usually wait til I can use MC on my PC, before replying to a Message.

 

As far as the profile goes, I see the profile as a bit of a mark of a serious geocacher vs. a casual one. I enjoy seeing what people did with their profile and what matters to them, and if they did nothing, it's just blank and it's not that big of a deal. I think the 2.4% is a poor reason to move it/do away with it.

 

We've seen that 2.4% of Geocaches are extremely well done. The next Update will get rid of those. :anibad:

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Request: Since it seems the MC will not be the only way to contact, could you add a way of showing what the system considers "unread" messages?

+1

 

I'd like to see an icon or some indication of which MC messages were accessed by the recipient, so I know which were "read" (well, at least "clicked on"). And I'd like a way to filter and organize messages. Folders and stuff, like I can do in email.

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How the DNFs will count? The total number of DNFs logged or the number of caches that I finally didn't manage to found?

 

For example: I've logged 3 DNFs on a single cache and during the 4th visit I've found it and finally logged as "found". How many DNFs have I in this case: 3 (as 3 DNFs logged) or 0 (as I finally found that cache)?

 

Interesting question... how many caches or how many attempts....

 

I know that I'll log a dnf for each attempt. Others won't log a second dnf. And others won't even log the first dnf.

 

I'd guess that the method that would be "true" (for lack of a better term) would be the number of caches, not attempts.

 

To me, it's not too relevant, but to others it may be.

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Request: Since it seems the MC will not be the only way to contact, could you add a way of showing what the system considers "unread" messages?

+1

 

I'd like to see an icon or some indication of which MC messages were accessed by the recipient, so I know which were "read" (well, at least "clicked on"). And I'd like a way to filter and organize messages. Folders and stuff, like I can do in email.

 

And I'd like to be able to block this functionality because it isn't anyone else's business if I looked at their message or not.

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Request: Since it seems the MC will not be the only way to contact, could you add a way of showing what the system considers "unread" messages?

+1

 

I'd like to see an icon or some indication of which MC messages were accessed by the recipient, so I know which were "read" (well, at least "clicked on"). And I'd like a way to filter and organize messages. Folders and stuff, like I can do in email.

 

And I'd like to be able to block this functionality because it isn't anyone else's business if I looked at their message or not.

 

I would strongly oppose letting people know if I read their message or not. If somebody asks for a hint and I don't have time to respond, I don't want them to start getting mad at me because I read their note and didn't respond. Having the "read" indication on message systems can be cool, but it doesn't have to be everywhere.

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It may be a regional thing. I don't have anything in my profile, nor do most of my active geocaching friends. I had at one point put some of the statistical things there, but nobody really cares about it, so I removed it.

 

Maybe. I looked at 10 random friends (from my geocaching friends list) and 9 of them had a profile. Some of them are in the US.

 

Custom editing of the Profile tab on ones profile seems to be very common in Europe (especially the UK). Something that I have suggested several times in the past is to make other tabs user editable. Since the Profile tab is that only one that can be customized, it's not just used for Profile information. It's also commonly used for adding stats from third party sites (GSAK, project-gc, mygeocachingprofile.com), custom badges (from badgegen or custom images created by cache owners), and even souvenirs for countries in which GS has not yet created a souvenir.

 

So how about adding an Awards/Achievements tab, and make it editable so one could add various badges to it. The Statistics tab should be editable as well with a one-click integration with existing partner sites what provide Geocaching statistics. A lot of geocachers include the HTML from these sites on their Profile page even though there is a statistic tab which has GS created Statistics.

 

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You should not show other player's DNFs by default. Only if the player agrees.

 

Very curious as to why you hold this opinion? While we believe this to be a good thing, sincerely interested in why you don't think so?

 

I can't speak for hcy but I think it could make some players even more reluctant to post DNFs.

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Hey everyone-

 

Thanks for the feedback these past 24 hours. We really appreciate those of you who took the time to explain the exact problems and issues you were having with the Message Center. After hearing about how you use email differently than the Message Center we have decided to include the email option, as it currently exists, in the new Profile for now. You will see everything there when we release on Tuesday. For those of you who do like the Message Center but wish it had a few more features, we will be jumping in do some more work on it soon.

 

As an FYI about our release process with these projects you should know that thoughtful, grounded feedback about the problems you are having is what speaks the loudest to us (akin to the tone of the User Insights forums). It loses impact and focus for us when the feedback turns to a general dislike of anything changing. We know that change can be tough, especially when you have been seeing the same pages for many years. Please know that we aren't just changing things for the sake of change. We have technology concerns, we have usability concerns, and we have had requests to bring in new ideas and features from the geocaching community. You should know that even though we geocache, we aren't making decisions based off hunches or the way 'we' like to geocache (believe me, as I was a geocacher before I was a Lackey, that would be awesome!). Everyone plays the game differently and we try to allow for that kind of flexibility when we design features for the site. It is our responsibility to find a good balance between all these things. We will be listening to you all summer long, as we continue to add features and functionality to these two pages. When we hear grounded feedback about the problems you are having we will look for good solutions for them - it won't necessarily mean that the loudest feedback wins or that the solution you have proposed will be implemented, as there are LOTS of factors to consider. When new solutions are implemented we look at analytics and data to see how/if folks are using the features and combine it with the qualitative feedback that we hear here, in usability tests, and in interviews with geocachers to make our decisions.

 

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. Looking forward to working with all of you more this summer. :)

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Hey everyone-

 

Thanks for the feedback these past 24 hours. We really appreciate those of you who took the time to explain the exact problems and issues you were having with the Message Center. After hearing about how you use email differently than the Message Center we have decided to include the email option, as it currently exists, in the new Profile for now. You will see everything there when we release on Tuesday. For those of you who do like the Message Center but wish it had a few more features, we will be jumping in do some more work on it soon.

 

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. Looking forward to working with all of you more this summer. :)

Appreciate this quick response to our concerns, thanks!

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After hearing about how you use email differently than the Message Center we have decided to include the email option, as it currently exists, in the new Profile for now.
Thank you.

 

Is there any chance we might persuade you to get rid of the "for now" qualifier?

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I like the larger image. Will we be able to change the header image on our own profile?

Yep! That is the plan for a future release this summer. We know that a lot of folks love mixing their photography hobby with their geocaching hobby and we want to provide a place for people to show off their pics in a prominent spot. We are also looking at it as another way for people to show a bit more of 'who they are' and offer a bit of personalization for the profile space.

 

I hear the concern with scrolling and we will look for a solution that allows people to display a picture they love on their profile while minimizing the need for others to scroll more down the page to access the info they are interested in.

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After hearing about how you use email differently than the Message Center we have decided to include the email option, as it currently exists, in the new Profile for now.
Thank you.

 

Is there any chance we might persuade you to get rid of the "for now" qualifier?

 

Agree! Thank you for keeping it and please don't remove down the road.

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You should not show other player's DNFs by default. Only if the player agrees.

 

Very curious as to why you hold this opinion? While we believe this to be a good thing, sincerely interested in why you don't think so?

 

I can't speak for hcy but I think it could make some players even more reluctant to post DNFs.

 

I agree - some may consider a DNF as a failure and be reluctant to "air laundry."

 

DNFs are a good thing for the CO and future seekers. The canary in the mineshaft... Anything that prevents cachers from logging them would be less than optimal.

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After hearing about how you use email differently than the Message Center we have decided to include the email option, as it currently exists, in the new Profile for now.

 

Fantastic news.... and thanks for the rolling updates.....

 

 

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At a quick glance, I haven't actually played with them yet ...

 

I think the profile changes look really nice :)

 

The dashboard is my main launch page, so I use it the most. I like looking at it with what is currently there.

The changes seem to have a lot of vertical whitespace and scrolling which generally I don't like. But I am seeing this in all the new forms.

My most used feature on the dashboard is the map icon, for a quick pop over to my map of nearby caches. That doesn't seem to be included in the new layout?

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The changes seem to have a lot of vertical whitespace and scrolling which generally I don't like. But I am seeing this in all the new forms.

My most used feature on the dashboard is the map icon, for a quick pop over to my map of nearby caches. That doesn't seem to be included in the new layout?

 

These would be my 2 main concerns.

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You should not show other player's DNFs by default. Only if the player agrees.

Very curious as to why you hold this opinion? While we believe this to be a good thing, sincerely interested in why you don't think so?

Besides the obvious reason of someone being embarrassed about their number of search failures, someone not concerned about their own count being published might be worried that other people will be less likely to file DNFs just because they're being counted.

 

There's also the reverse problem: some people don't file any DNFs and don't want anyone to know.

 

Personally, I don't care whether my DNFs are posted, and I'm actually not against posting them without permission, I'm just listing the reasons someone might feel otherwise. But, I have to admit, I don't really think it's a very interesting statistic. It's kinda like, and not that much more interesting than, counting the number of Notes I've logged.

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I still see the old version, and don't see how to access the new.

 

Is there something I need to do to try the new version?

The new version hasn't been pushed out yet for cachers to Opt In to using. So far, we're all just seeing screenshots and text in the blog post. That is what our comments are based on.

Edited by noncentric
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I'm curious about the mixed languages in the screenshot of the news feed. For example, Prying Pandora's find says "Hast" and Sphinx123's archive says "Archiveermogelijkheden", whereas SparkleDonkey's DNF says "Did not find" and Frozenmacncheese's note says "Wrote a note". Is this unintentional, or will the text be modified for each log using i18n?

 

I know we're asking lots of questions without actually getting to play with it yet. We're cachers who have an eye for the fine details! :laughing:

Good eye and good question! When we create a design for a page we have to think about what it would look like when the text has been localized for other languages. So what you are seeing here is our designer, Emmi, making sure that the design is being thoughtful of languages that translate to longer words than English. Is the text wrapping appropriately? Is the text we have chosen going to translate well? While you probably won't see the translated text in your Dashboard, we have to make sure the experience is in order for those who will. Does that answer your question?

That all makes perfect sense. Thanks for all of your explanations so far in this discussion. It's refreshing and seems to have led to a more productive and amicable discussion.

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You should not show other player's DNFs by default. Only if the player agrees.

 

Very curious as to why you hold this opinion? While we believe this to be a good thing, sincerely interested in why you don't think so?

 

I can't speak for hcy but I think it could make some players even more reluctant to post DNFs.

 

Yes. I would stop logging DNFs. While I may mention that figure from time to time, it has always been private information.

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You should not show other player's DNFs by default. Only if the player agrees.

Very curious as to why you hold this opinion? While we believe this to be a good thing, sincerely interested in why you don't think so?

Besides the obvious reason of someone being embarrassed about their number of search failures, someone not concerned about their own count being published might be worried that other people will be less likely to file DNFs just because they're being counted.

 

There's also the reverse problem: some people don't file any DNFs and don't want anyone to know.

 

Personally, I don't care whether my DNFs are posted, and I'm actually not against posting them without permission, I'm just listing the reasons someone might feel otherwise. But, I have to admit, I don't really think it's a very interesting statistic. It's kinda like, and not that much more interesting than, counting the number of Notes I've logged.

Ditto dprovan.

Personally, I don't care if others see my DNF count. My DNF logs are available on the various cache pages, so it's not a huge secret. I believe there's also a way for cachers to get other cacher's DNF's via GSAK and/or API? Posting it on my profile just makes it much easier to see. It's not as though they're showing a list of all the caches I've DNF'd.

 

Cachers may feel 'embarrassed' by their DNF count, while other cachers may feel embarrassed by their Hide count. It is what it is.

 

When I saw that DNF count was added, it reminded me of "DNF Pride". Adding DNF count is something that has been requested in the past. Don't say that GS never listens!

[FEATURE] Show DNFs in profile

DNF count in user page... DNF pride!

Make DNF's visible at the Public Profile

DNF on Profile

[FEATURE] DNF Count!

Logs other than "found it"

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We really appreciate those of you who took the time to explain the exact problems and issues you were having with the Message Center. After hearing about how you use email differently than the Message Center we have decided to include the email option, as it currently exists, in the new Profile for now.

 

Please keep the e-mail option. Forever. One cannot delete messages from the Message Center. They remain forever. My e-mail I sort and save as necessary. Delete when no longer needed. I realize that is not the modern world. OnStar knows where my car is parked. As does that little chip planted in my brain. The modern world, I guess.

Groundspeak complains of storage problems. How many millions of messages are permanently stored because they come through the Message Center? If e-mail options disappear, I will stop sending messages, except where required: Virtuals and EarthCaches.

Despite the disclaimer, this is all change for the sake of change. Everyone must use a cell phone. GPSr units no longer acceptable?

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I still see the old version, and don't see how to access the new.

 

Is there something I need to do to try the new version?

The new version hasn't been pushed out yet for cachers to Opt In to using. So far, we're all just seeing screenshots and text in the blog post. That is what our comments are based on.

Thanks, that explains it. I was worried that my opting out of the new logging page also opted me out of this.

 

All is clear now.

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Having had a look now, I think the new is a great improvement over the old.

 

I am one of the 2.4% who adds stuff to my Bio section - lots of GSAK-generated statistics. Much of what I add is a reformatted version of information available under the Trackables, Souvenirs and Statistics Tabs. While you are considering changes to this area, could you please consider changing the information displayed under these tabs to allow three options;

 

1. Display nothing for this tab

2. Display the "default" information

3. Display the user's own HTML

 

For the Statistics tab, allow options 1 & 2 for the main area, and allow all three options for the Basic, Maps and Milestones tabs.

 

If you could set up a scheme where we could customise the tabs (adding, deleting and renaming tabs) to suit our own preferences, that would be even better (but much harder to implement, I suspect)

 

Thanks

 

Tony

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Looks good, well done Jayme and team.

 

My only concern is re the loss of the option to contact via email. Notwithstanding the concerns others have posted, I wouldn't mind going 100% message centre if the message centre would email out to me ALL messages I receive, so that I can reply to them directly. The message centre itself does not seem to work well for me.

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How can you consider eliminating the email option when the message center does not work?

 

I mean, besides the months-old bug that freezes the entire browser because of badly-formed javascript, the message center has been flaky and unreliable. Is there some value being added by eliminating email? Nope.

 

Why on Earth won't Groundspeak work on their core functionality rather than on bug-ridden, poorly designed frills? And why won't they fix the bugs that they already have before making wholesale changes to the interface?

Message does work. I've been sending and receiving via MC since it started and everything works fine. Nothing has frozen and don't know what "flaky" refers to. As far as I can see there's nothing to fix.

Do you use Firefox? The message center causes the browser to freeze when users have the geocache map or a cache page open for too long. It kept happening to me, so I eventually resorted to installing a browser extension that arisoft created. Apparently, he identified the script issue and created a Firefox extension that blocked it and that has resolved the freezing issue for cachers that installed the extension. Forum Topic Here

 

Do you send messages from your phone app, or just from the website? I have personally had problems getting messages to actually send when I send messages via the Android app. I will write the message and send, but then no message to that cacher shows up in my message center. I have to go into the web browser on my phone, or on the website, to re-write the message and send it via MC.

 

Just because you haven't had a problem with the MC doesn't mean that it is "does work". It may work for you, but that doesn't mean it's bug-free and/or reliable.

I use Firefox, desktop W8.1 & W10 and I don't use the app for messaging. Yes, it works for me. As for those sending me messages I do not know what they are using but I suspect some are using the app as the message seems to indicate they are "in the field".

If its not working for others then is it a case of their device or their platforms? Would Groundspeak then have to program MC to work on every type so that it works for everyone? As I am not a tekky type I do not fully understand the how it all fits.

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How can you consider eliminating the email option when the message center does not work?

 

I mean, besides the months-old bug that freezes the entire browser because of badly-formed javascript, the message center has been flaky and unreliable. Is there some value being added by eliminating email? Nope.

 

Why on Earth won't Groundspeak work on their core functionality rather than on bug-ridden, poorly designed frills? And why won't they fix the bugs that they already have before making wholesale changes to the interface?

Message does work. I've been sending and receiving via MC since it started and everything works fine. Nothing has frozen and don't know what "flaky" refers to. As far as I can see there's nothing to fix.

Do you use Firefox? The message center causes the browser to freeze when users have the geocache map or a cache page open for too long. It kept happening to me, so I eventually resorted to installing a browser extension that arisoft created. Apparently, he identified the script issue and created a Firefox extension that blocked it and that has resolved the freezing issue for cachers that installed the extension. Forum Topic Here

 

Do you send messages from your phone app, or just from the website? I have personally had problems getting messages to actually send when I send messages via the Android app. I will write the message and send, but then no message to that cacher shows up in my message center. I have to go into the web browser on my phone, or on the website, to re-write the message and send it via MC.

 

Just because you haven't had a problem with the MC doesn't mean that it is "does work". It may work for you, but that doesn't mean it's bug-free and/or reliable.

I use Firefox, desktop W8.1 & W10 and I don't use the app for messaging. Yes, it works for me. As for those sending me messages I do not know what they are using but I suspect some are using the app as the message seems to indicate they are "in the field".

If its not working for others then is it a case of their device or their platforms? Would Groundspeak then have to program MC to work on every type so that it works for everyone? As I am not a tekky type I do not fully understand the how it all fits.

If you haven't used MC within the app, then is seems you can't really say that "message does work" and "there's nothing to fix". There are plenty of threads noting various bugs and problems with the message center. In the iPhone app, the Android app, and via the website (both Windows and Mac). Groundspeak should ensure that MC functions reliably across all modern platforms before shutting down the email function that does work reliably across those same platforms. Hopefully, that stability will be in place before they remove the email functionality - which thankfully won't happen as soon as we initially thought.

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How can you consider eliminating the email option when the message center does not work?

 

I mean, besides the months-old bug that freezes the entire browser because of badly-formed javascript, the message center has been flaky and unreliable. Is there some value being added by eliminating email? Nope.

 

Why on Earth won't Groundspeak work on their core functionality rather than on bug-ridden, poorly designed frills? And why won't they fix the bugs that they already have before making wholesale changes to the interface?

Message does work. I've been sending and receiving via MC since it started and everything works fine. Nothing has frozen and don't know what "flaky" refers to. As far as I can see there's nothing to fix.

Do you use Firefox? The message center causes the browser to freeze when users have the geocache map or a cache page open for too long. It kept happening to me, so I eventually resorted to installing a browser extension that arisoft created. Apparently, he identified the script issue and created a Firefox extension that blocked it and that has resolved the freezing issue for cachers that installed the extension. Forum Topic Here

 

Do you send messages from your phone app, or just from the website? I have personally had problems getting messages to actually send when I send messages via the Android app. I will write the message and send, but then no message to that cacher shows up in my message center. I have to go into the web browser on my phone, or on the website, to re-write the message and send it via MC.

 

Just because you haven't had a problem with the MC doesn't mean that it is "does work". It may work for you, but that doesn't mean it's bug-free and/or reliable.

I use Firefox, desktop W8.1 & W10 and I don't use the app for messaging. Yes, it works for me. As for those sending me messages I do not know what they are using but I suspect some are using the app as the message seems to indicate they are "in the field".

If its not working for others then is it a case of their device or their platforms? Would Groundspeak then have to program MC to work on every type so that it works for everyone? As I am not a tekky type I do not fully understand the how it all fits.

If you haven't used MC within the app, then is seems you can't really say that "message does work" and "there's nothing to fix". There are plenty of threads noting various bugs and problems with the message center. In the iPhone app, the Android app, and via the website (both Windows and Mac). Groundspeak should ensure that MC functions reliably across all modern platforms before shutting down the email function that does work reliably across those same platforms. Hopefully, that stability will be in place before they remove the email functionality - which thankfully won't happen as soon as we initially thought.

I'll have to give the MC a try from the app then. Not fully conversant with it yet.

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Hey everyone-

 

Thanks for the feedback these past 24 hours. We really appreciate those of you who took the time to explain the exact problems and issues you were having with the Message Center. After hearing about how you use email differently than the Message Center we have decided to include the email option, as it currently exists, in the new Profile for now. You will see everything there when we release on Tuesday. For those of you who do like the Message Center but wish it had a few more features, we will be jumping in do some more work on it soon.

Thank you! And thank you for letting us know :)

 

You should know that even though we geocache, we aren't making decisions based off hunches or the way 'we' like to geocache (believe me, as I was a geocacher before I was a Lackey, that would be awesome!). Everyone plays the game differently and we try to allow for that kind of flexibility when we design features for the site.

Now that would be awesome. But I think everyone understand that having 7 million users isn't easy. That's a lot of opinions...

 

I like the larger image. Will we be able to change the header image on our own profile?

Yep! That is the plan for a future release this summer. We know that a lot of folks love mixing their photography hobby with their geocaching hobby and we want to provide a place for people to show off their pics in a prominent spot. We are also looking at it as another way for people to show a bit more of 'who they are' and offer a bit of personalization for the profile space.

Awesome! I think geocaching and photography is a perfect match, so I look forward to this. It's a nice way to make the profile page more personal.

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I like the idea of having a custom image header; but as also commented find a way to have it display so it's not taking up so much vertical space towards scrolling. Same for the amount of whitespace (I may otherwise once again implement some custom templating in the browser to reduce all the unused whitespace). Please let me just again stress - don't forget to consider desktop users! :)

 

Per the DNF count, perhaps it should be an optional display.

And also I think it makes most sense as the number of caches to which the user posted at least one DNF. ie, the number of caches attempted-but-not-found (by posted DNF). It's an interesting metric for people who use DNFs that way, which is another good reason to provide the option to hide that value, since it could otherwise hold no real meaning or value to said user.

 

ETA: Oh and yes, thank you very much for considering the development, announcement, and rollout process moving forward! Interested to see how it goes this summer.

Edited by thebruce0
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Yep! That is the plan for a future release this summer. We know that a lot of folks love mixing their photography hobby with their geocaching hobby and we want to provide a place for people to show off their pics in a prominent spot. We are also looking at it as another way for people to show a bit more of 'who they are' and offer a bit of personalization for the profile space.

 

 

A bit of personalization is important. Actually, more than a bit. I would like to think that the game reflects, at least in part, who I am.

 

Although I like that we will be able to personalize the profile with a photo, the main form of personalization is being moved to the "about" tab. That is the section that allows people to tell "who they are" far more than stats - so being able to choose a default tab (assuming it is possible) would at least be a nice option. As it seems to stand, you are relegating to the far side the main thing I used to make the game personal.

 

The more options we have to personalize things, the better it will be - whether it be what our pages show (such as dnfs) or what is seen when the profile is viewed.

 

A default tab setting could allow people to show off their stats by opening to that page. But if there are others like me (who hide stats and souvenirs), then it would be nice to direct people to what we want others to see rather than have a tab far to one side.

 

The connection between caching and photography is one reason why I have never understood why there us not a link to the gallery from the personal profile or dashboard.

Edited by geodarts
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Two things:

 

the banner image is far too big. I'd need to scroll down to see the actual content of the page, for example recently viewed caches and other things. Please keep people with monitors that are not 20+ inches into account!

 

The email/message centre thing: The message centre doesn't work for me. I find that people who promise to send EarthCache answers per message centre never get back to me, sopposebly because they don't see my reminder, while this works well per email. Likewise, I don't see that someone messages me if this is someone with whome I've communicated before as I don't get an email of the new message. As such, the message centre is completely useless for me. Furthermore, it is very difficult to keep track of the people who have answered the EC logging tasks as I'm not getting emails with the full text in them. That really makes me think about any more caches that require a bit more administrative work for me.

 

edit: oh, I see the email is staying for now. Thanks a lot Jaime!

Edited by terratin
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Likewise, I don't see that someone messages me if this is someone with whome I've communicated before as I don't get an email of the new message.

FYI - You may want to check what is selected for your account in Settings -> Email Preferences. There is an option to receive an email for every message you receive, which may be helpful in resolving this one issue.

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I hate that I'm going to say this, but look at your Facebook profile (if you've got one) - the header image is the same idea, similar size. But, somehow the page as a whole seems more palettable than just the enormous browser-spanning image. Customizable header is good - the trick will be finding an implementation balance that doesn't feel overhwelming and space-wasting on the profile page for both mobile and desktop users (as that appears to be the unified goal)

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It was interesting reading the comments about how many people customize their profile page. I looked at my friends list, which has 58 cachers on it. The majority of them have customized their profile page.

 

Most of my friends have been caching for many years, and I noticed that only two of them who started after 2008 (and they're both active cachers) did any customization.

 

Take from that what you will. :ph34r:

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